Create a climate change emergency awareness campaign

“	But despite this enhanced understanding of climate change, it is clear we are not doing anywhere near enough to tackle it.	”
—Hoesung Lee

Activity

Create an awareness campaign – in your choice of medium – that conveys the science and the urgency of the climate emergency and will inspire others to take action. First, list all the different media you could use to communicate a message in your community. Next, decide on a medium – radio, television, social media, flyer, display, series of events, etc. – and create a first draft of your message. Use the resources below. Be sure to save your ideas in your learning journal. And go ahead . . . post your post, write your article, create your posters or hold your event! Good luck.

Communicating the urgency of the climate emergency requires a combination of

clear language
relatable stories and examples (which is why we asked you to write about how climate change has already impacted you and your community in an earlier lesson)
a focus on both the risks of inaction and the benefits of action (which is why we have been very frank with you about the potentially catastrophic impacts of climate change)
ideas for action (see Modules 4 and 6)

By providing steps one can take and using a variety of communication channels, you will be able to inspire more people to take action and build a movement for change.

Strategies for communicating the urgency of the climate emergency

Use clear and concise language: It is important to communicate the urgency of the situation in language that is accessible and easily understood by a broad audience. Avoid scientific or technical jargon, and focus on the key message.
Use vivid, memorable metaphors: “Metaphors are powerful shortcuts to instant and memorable understanding. They evoke vivid images and allow us to ‘see’ things from a new perspective, and so are useful tools for creative problem solving.” (MindTools)
Make it personal: Help people understand how climate change is affecting their own lives and the lives of those they care about. Use stories and examples that people can relate to, such as the impacts of extreme weather events or changes in food production.
Highlight the risks of inaction: Emphasise the catastrophic impacts that could result from failing to take action on climate change, such as food and water shortages, health crises and economic disruption.
Emphasise the benefits of action: It is important to also highlight the positive outcomes that can result from taking action on climate change, such as new job opportunities, cleaner air and water and improved public health – or simply a sense of contributing to the greater good of the community.
Provide actionable steps: Give people concrete steps they can take to help address the climate emergency, such as reducing their own carbon footprint (see Module 4), supporting policies that promote clean energy and advocating for action at the community and national levels. Research has shown that simply learning something new can also be viewed as an action step.
Use a variety of communication channels: People receive information in different ways, so it is important to use a variety of communication channels to reach a broad audience. This may include social media, public events, local media outlets and educational materials.

An awareness campaign can be a great way to educate people and get them to take action. It does take some work, but you can do it if you take it step by step. Start by establishing exactly what you want your campaign to be and gathering people to help. Create a web presence to help gather more people, and use print media to spread information, too.
— Joseph Harwood

Think of the things you have heard or read about the impacts of climate change. What made them memorable for you? Were they simple? Unexpected? Vivid? Concrete? Credible? Emotional? Were they stories? (Who does not like a good story? Plus, some people learn by listening.) Were they charts and graphs? (Some people learn best through their eyes.) Think about these attributes as you develop your campaign.
Let’s explore some metaphors for climate change.

Climate change metaphors

Metaphor	What climate change problem does this represent?	What climate change solution could this symbolise?
Zero	We think there is a bunch of nothing in the air, but the atmosphere is not just an empty space up in the sky. It is all around us and chemically composed of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), greenhouse gases (1%) and living organisms (microbes).	Zero carbon is what will save us – pumping less and less carbon into the atmosphere is not enough. Only “zero” CO₂ is enough. We have to get to zero carbon emissions to stop continued global warming and ocean acidification. We have to attain a zero-carbon economy and lifestyle (agriculture, transportation and industry).
Almost full bathtub with tap continually dripping in more water than the drain is allowing out	For approximately the past 11,000 years, until the start of the Industrial Revolution in 1760, the concentration of in the atmosphere was 280 parts per million, creating a stable global temperature that allowed the flourishing of agriculture, and hence human civilisation. Since the Industrial Revolution, we have been adding more and more water to the bathtub, leading to dangerous levels of water that is overflowing, flooding and ruining the house (our planet).	Let’s turn off the tap. Or let’s at least turn it back to its natural flow. (In the fossil fuel-free world, carbon slowly entering the atmosphere from natural sources (volcanoes, forest fires, bogs and termites) was balanced by the slow removal or “sinking” of carbon as it was converted to fossil carbon – limestone, dolomite, oil, coal or gas.) Lots of zero-carbon innovations are in the works that can help us turn off the tap.
No Campfires sign	Burning > fire > smoke > carbon (black carbon/soot + CO₂) > greenhouse effect > global warming > climate change	The Burning Age is over” can be our new slogan. (The Stone Age did not end because they ran out of stones!)
Greenhouse	The sun’s rays enter the greenhouse (the Earth’s atmosphere), and heat is trapped by the glass (the greenhouse gases) after radiating from the ground (the Earth’s surface).	A greenhouse can be viewed as a place where we take care of young ones (seedlings), where we consider and place great importance on the needs of the young ones . . . a site of intergenerational equity.
Pot of water on a hot stove	If we turn the stove on high to heat a pot of water and put our finger on the surface of that water, we will be standing there a long time before the water heats up (inertia). But if we do not turn the heat down, the water will eventually boil over, and the pot will burn.	The Earth is over 70% water, and oceans hold almost 97% of all the water on the planet. Oceans, therefore, determine the Earth’s climate. Understanding the warming delay caused by the ocean heat lag will help us advocate for urgent action.
Glass dome (snow globe)	In effect, we are in a closed system. Our biosphere is surrounded by a thin atmosphere (like the skin of an onion). When it comes to greenhouse gases, the dome is a closed space. What we do under our dome affects all life in our dome. We cannot escape the pollution or the amplifying greenhouse effect. That is because the main greenhouse gases are long-lasting and being constantly emitted.	Let’s shake things up! (Get it? Snow globe? Okay, maybe this metaphor does not work in places with no snow.) We are in a closed system, and if we realise that there is no “away,” then we will start taking care of what is under our dome. If we stop emitting pollutants, the pollution will disappear in mere weeks. (Unfortunately, the greenhouse gases may take centuries or millennia to disappear.)
Forest fire blazing from a cigarette butt	Represents amplifying (positive) feedbacks. A small fire > more heat; more heat > more fire; more fire > more heat > more energy (a raging fire creates its own wind) It is easy to be careless when we do not realise how quickly amplifying feedback can kick in.	We can start holding those who start forest fires (real ones and metaphorical ones) accountable for their damages (by charging a carbon tax, stopping fossil fuel subsidies to corporations and demanding the internalisation of social and environmental costs).
The Titanic	Climate injustice. First-class passengers on this ship were more privileged. A higher percentage of first- and second-class passengers than third-class passengers were saved aboard lifeboats. Technological hubris (the “best ship in the world” could never sink) did not acknowledge the vessel’s vulnerabilities. Inferior materials were used to save time and money. They did not act quickly enough – tried to veer once the iceberg was sighted, but had waited too long and the ship was too big and unwieldy.	Let’s remember that although the less privileged will suffer first, everyone will be impacted in the end. Over 1,500 Titanic passengers, including many wealthy people, still drowned. Let’s get it right this time. Let’s not wait until it is too late to avoid catastrophe. Let’s not allow a comedy of errors to turn into tragedy. Let’s not take shortcuts. Let’s not be slapdash. Let’s not let greed be our undoing as a species.
Other

Resources

The following resources may be useful:

“How to Start an Awareness Campaign“^[1]
“Climate Emergency Toolkit“^[2]

Here is a planning and evaluation checklist for creating an awareness campaign. Click the links to go to websites where you can get help on how to carry out this particular task. Feel free to give yourself a score once your awareness campaign is complete.

Planning and evaluation checklist for a climate change awareness campaign

Number	Criteria	Score 1 point (below standard)	Score 2 points (good)	Score 3 points (excellent)
1. Building your campaign	a) Determine or define your goals “Set Goals and Achieve Them“^[3]	The goal(s) is not clear and is poorly articulated. It is not clear what the awareness campaign seeks to achieve.	The goal(s) is clear but poorly articulated. It is not clear who the awareness campaign seeks to influence.	The goal(s) is clear and well articulated. It is very clear what the awareness campaign seeks to achieve.
	b) Advocate for or select specific actions or objectives for your campaign. “Write Performance Objectives“^[4]	Actions are vague and not related to the campaign, or no action at all.	Actions are specific but not directly related to the campaign. Few actions when there should be more.	Actions are very specific and directly related to the campaign. Actions are enough for a successful campaign.
	c) Draft a mission statement. “Write a Mission Statement“^[5]	The campaign has no name. The mission statement has no clear goals and no specific objectives.	The campaign has a name. The mission statement has clear goals but no SMART objectives. SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound.	The campaign has a name and is specific on what it seeks to achieve. The mission statement has clear goals and SMART objectives.
	d) Check your facts.	A lot of the information in the awareness campaign is incorrect. There is no sign of fact verification.	Some of the information in the awareness campaign is incorrect. Only carried out minor topic research.	All the information in the awareness campaign is correct. There is evidence that the topic was thoroughly researched.
	e) Create a recognisable logo. https://www.wikihow.com/Design-a-Logo	There is no logo, or the logo is not recognisable. Poor choice of colours.	The logo is somewhat recognisable. The campaign is not built around the brand name or logo.	The logo is very recognisable. There is a good choice of colours, and the campaign is built around the brand name.

2. Gathering people to help	a) Check to see if someone is already doing the work.	Many are doing the same thing.	Only a few are doing the same thing.	The awareness campaign is unique. No one else is doing the work.
	b) Invite friends and family to join you.	Working alone.	Working with a few friends and a selected few family members.	Works with the whole family and a large group of friends and strangers who are willing to help.
	c) Find and talk to experts.	There is only one piece of expert advice or none at all.	There are only two pieces of expert advice.	There are more than two pieces of expert advice.

3. Creating a web presence	a) Create a website.	There is no mission statement on the “About us” page. The campaign information is not included. Even though contact details are given, there is no information on how people can get involved. The website is not easy to share.	There is a mission statement on the “About us” page. The campaign information is included. Even though contact details are given, there is no information on how people can get involved. The website is not easy to share.	There is a mission statement on the “About us” page. The campaign information is included. The website has contact details and information on how people can get involved. The website is easy to share.
	b) Build a presence on social media.	There is a WhatsApp presence only.	There is a WhatsApp and Facebook presence only.	There is a WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media presence.
	c) Invite people to follow you.	There are no or few followers.	There is a sizeable number of followers.	There are many followers.
	d) Include fun posts.	There are no or only a few sporadic fun posts.	There are monthly fun posts.	There are weekly fun posts.
	e) Make your message easily shareable.	The message is not shareable.	Some parts of the message are shareable.	The message is shareable.
4. Using print media	a) Create posters and fliers with basic information. “Make a Poster Using Microsoft Word“^[6] “Create an Effective Email Flier“^[7]	There is minimal or no print media presence.	There are either posters or fliers but not both. There is one big fact and a place to connect. Social media and website links are provided.	There are both posters and fliers. There is one big fact and a place to connect. Social media and website links are provided.
	b) Make pamphlets with more information. “Make a Pamphlet“^[8]	There are no pamphlets and no additional information.	Pamphlets and fliers are overloaded with too much information.	Pamphlets and fliers have limited but precise information. They have the most important facts about the campaign, where interested people can connect and the actions to take.
	c) Disseminate information by distributing your print media.	There is no distribution of print media.	Only a few print media are distributed.	A lot of print media are distributed, and more information is disseminated. Fliers and posters were posted around town, and pamphlets were put out at local organisations and businesses.

5. Hosting and promoting educational events	a) Ask for donations.	There is no attempt made to ask for donations. No donations were received.	An attempt is made to ask for donations. A few donations were received.	Many attempts were made to solicit donations. Large donations were received. A mail-out campaign was also considered. There is consideration to form a non-profit organisation.
	b) Speak at local organisations/events. “Speak Confidently in Public“^[9]	Hardly spoke at local events.	Occasionally spoke at local events.	Took advantage of every opportunity to speak at local events. Spoke at many local events.
	c) Segment your audiences https://www.wikihow.com/Conduct-Audience-Analysis	There is no evidence of audience segmentation. Unable to distinguish and prepare properly for supporters, neutral and antagonistic audiences.	There is evidence of audience segmentation. Was able to distinguish and prepare properly for supportive audiences but unable to prepare for neutral and antagonistic audiences.	There is evidence of audience segmentation. Was able to distinguish and prepare properly for supportive, neutral and antagonistic audiences. Was able to present an argument about why the people should support the campaign.
	d) Host educational events. “Organise an Event“^[10]	There were no educational events hosted, or, if hosted, they were poorly organised.	Hosted educational events, but they were poorly organised. No experts were invited as speakers at the event.	Hosted well-organised educational events. At each event, an expert was invited to speak.
	e) Create fundraising events. “Set up a Fundraising Event“^[11] “Fundraising event ideas raise money cause“^[12]	Created poorly organised fundraising events. There was no collaboration with other charities or brands to get the message across and raise funds.	Created well-organised fundraising events, but there was no collaboration with other charities or brands to get the message across and raise funds.	Created well-organised fundraising events, and there was a successful collaboration with other charities or brands to get the message across and raise funds.

In Module 3, you will learn that the dangerous impacts of global warming and climate change are not equally distributed around the world. Can you guess which regions are most vulnerable? Climate justice is vital in our fight to safeguard the future.

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, you learnt how to

overcome challenges to effectively communicate the urgency of addressing the climate emergency;
convey to others what everyone needs to know about the climate emergency; and
develop a communication strategy to explain the urgency of the climate emergency.

Module Assessment

Now complete the Module 2 assessment

References

↑ Wikihow, n.d. How to Start an Awareness Campaign
↑ The Climate Mobilization, n.d. Climate Emergency Toolkit
↑ wikihow, n.d. Set Goals and Achieve Them
↑ wikihow, n.d. Write Performance Objectives
↑ wikihow, n.d. Write a Mission Statement
↑ wikihow, n.d. Make a Poster Using Microsoft Word
↑ wikihow, n.d. Create an Effective Email Flier
↑ wikihow, n.d. Make a Pamphlet
↑ wikihow, n.d. Speak Confidently in Public
↑ wikihow, n.d. Organise an Event
↑ wikihow. n.d. Set up a Fundraising Event
↑ Classy, n.d. Fundraising event ideas raise money cause

BaCCC

Module 2: Impacts and Consequences of Climate Change

Communicating the Urgency of the Climate Emergency – Part 3